and　some　thirty　bouts　were　fought。　Then　Dian　Wei　turned　and　fled　toward　his　own　side。　The　bravo　followed　and　came　quite　close。　But　a　flight　of　arrows　drove　him　away。

Cao　Cao　hastily　drew　off　his　men　for　one　and　a　half　miles　and　then　secretly　sent　a　certain　number　to　dig　a　pitfall　and　sent　troops　armed　with　hooks　to　lie　in　ambush。

The　following　day　Dian　Wei　was　sent　out　with　one　hundred　horse。　His　adversary　nothing　loath　came　to　meet　Dian　Wei。

〃Why　does　the　defeated　leader　venture　forth　again？〃　cried　he　laughing。

The　swashbuckler　spurred　forward　to　join　battle；　but　Dian　Wei；　after　a　faint　show　of　fighting；　turned　his　horse　and　rode　away。　His　adversary　intent　upon　capture；　took　no　care；　and　he　and　his　horse　all　blundered　into　the　pitfall。　The　hookmen　took　him　captive；　bound　him；　and　carried　him　before　Cao　Cao。

As　soon　as　he　saw　the　prisoner；　Cao　Cao　advanced　from　his　tent；　sent　away　the　soldiers；　and　with　his　own　hands　loosened　the　leader's　bonds。　Then　he　brought　out　clothing　and　dressed　him；　bade　him　be　seated　and　asked　who　he　was　and　whence　he　came。

〃I　am　named　Xu　Chu。　I　am　from　Qiao。　When　the　rebellion　broke　out；　I　and　my　relations　of　some　hundreds　built　a　stronghold　within　a　rampart　for　protection。　One　day　the　robbers　came；　but　I　had　stones　ready　for　them。　I　told　my　relatives　to　keep　on　bringing　them　up　to　me　and　I　threw　them；　hitting　somebody　every　time　I　threw。　This　drove　off　the　robbers。　Another　day　they　came　and　we　were　short　of　grain。　So　I　agreed　with　them　to　an　exchange　of　plow　oxen　against　grain。　They　delivered　the　grain　and　were　driving　away　the　oxen　when　the　beasts　took　fright　and　tore　off　to　their　pens。　I　seized　two　of　oxen　by　the　tail；　one　with　each　hand；　and　hauled　them　backwards　a　hundred　or　so　paces。　The　robbers